South Florida East Coast Corridor

[CalleOchoGringo]

Residents won't "regret not funding more Metrorail in 15-20 years"... they regret it already! The more water-cooler talk I have at different jobs I go to, the more and more I realize that the views of us transit geeks on this forum are MUCH more widely shared in South Florida than we might think! Heck even Broward is demanding light-rail these days.

As for not affording your own vehicle... Car2go anyone?

[CalleOchoGringo]

Thanks Mr Jones for this... I have been eagerly waiting a long time for any drawings/plans on the downtown station. Any links to where this came from?

Also after looking at it, it's kinda strange that the tracks have overbuild to them. These are going to be diesel trains right, not electric? I thought fumes from that made building directly over it a no no. But TBH I don't know enough about train station design to know that or not.

Also it's kinda hard to tell from this but it looks like there's going to be disappointingly little ground level retail and interaction. Instead, just another nondescript office tower/parking garage over the station. I sure hope I turn out to be wrong about that.

[mr jones]

Each station will have retail space. Down at the bottom right hand side under Environmental Assessment there are a few PDF documents with more details and alternative locations - http://www.allaboardflorida.com

[CalleOchoGringo]

Surprised noone posted the Herald story yet:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/1...nger-rail.html

[xerxesjc28]

It's going to be quite a sight to see an elevated Diesel locomotive (?) 4 stories up in Downtown Miami. Thanks for the link. I can't wait to see this station when the final renderings are done, and when it is actually completed.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by CalleOchoGringo

Surprised noone posted the Herald story yet:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/1...nger-rail.html

Hey thanks for posting this link, calle!! Is this REALLY going to happen? I sure hope so...

[ThatFloridaDude]

I Can't beleive this project is really happening. Wow. Looking good for Orlando and Miami. Floridas two most progressive cities.

[defamed]

New Miami Station Schematics Show Elevated Tracks, Towers
Friday, November 2, 2012, by Sean McCaughan



The FEC's architects have narrowed down their search for 'All Aboard Florida' station locations to a few possibilities and put together very preliminary schematic massing studies for each of them. Miami's station will be outside Government Center and the Metrorail - no big shocker - but that station could come in either one of two flavors, and there are two options each for Downtown Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach's stations. All are extremely centrally located within their respective urban cores, but Miami's downtown station indubitably has the most wiz-bang awesomeness.

The first Miami option, with at-grade level trackage, puts the station entrance at the southern edge of the site, where it would be the most centrally located to Flagler Street, the courthouse, and the rest of the heart of downtown. It would also open out to a pretty, but currently very underused, public plaza, with skyscrapers directly on top of the station. The second option places the station about three blocks farther north, behind the new Federal courthouse, and elevates the tracks and platforms above cross streets and the Peoplemover, with an entrance facing the courthouse. That option sets aside the entire lower three blocks to development (skyscrapers).

The FEC's lead architect for the project is the New York office of international mega-firm Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, which just completed a proposal for an absolutely insane project around Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal. It includes two giant towers connected by a 'halo' skywalk/bridge/elevator thing over the station, and deep underground chasms and concourses. But since that's not actually getting built, SOM's assigned the same team of designers (who's imaginations must be freshly fired up) to do the All Aboard Florida stations. Hey, maybe Miami's will get its own halo, or at least a train station 40+ feet in the sky.

http://miami.curbed.com/archives/201...on-options.php

[CalleOchoGringo]

Yeah I'm more of a fan of the elevated option than ground level. The ground level will limit the amount of flexibility of the facility over all. It has the potential to be a shiny new train station, OR a mega shopping mall/office/hotel plex that ohbytheway has a train station attached also.

And if for some reason the train ridership numbers fail as the naysayers all believe, then it can still at least be a Brickell CitiCenter North with a useless train attached (not that I think that will happen but you get my point).

[CF221]

I think the way the station looks (aesthetics) will definitely impact how people see this new station. Precisely because it is going to be surrounded by other buildings (shopping centers, etc), it will have to call attention to establish itself visually as a transportation node in an otherwise crowded place. I hope SOM can fulfill.

[CalleOchoGringo]

SOM certainly can, the question is... will FEC balk at the price and take a cheaper uglier option.

[Dale]

Wasn't a major announcement due today ?

[brickell]

I hereby announce, that if SOM will release their drawings to me, by 5pm. I will donate $5 dollars to any charity of their choice.

Is that the kind of announcement you're looking for?

[Dale]

Originally Posted by brickell

I hereby announce, that if SOM will release their drawings to me, by 5pm. I will donate $5 dollars to any charity of their choice.

Is that the kind of announcement you're looking for?

That's what I'm looking for! Private sector solutions!

[Alexdw85]

I think a giant clock tower would be really nice right there above the station.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by Alexdw85

I think a giant clock tower would be really nice right there above the station.

Why not the much sought for Telly Savalas statue?

[CF221]

WHO IS TELLY SAVALAS????

EDIT: I googled him. Now I know who Telly Savalas is.

[brickell]

Originally Posted by CF221

WHO IS TELLY SAVALAS????

EDIT: I googled him. Now I know who Telly Savalas is.

Now I feel old.

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by brickell

Now I feel old.

I feel old AND wounded.

Someone may as well tell me they don't know who Lincoln or Gandhi is.

I weep for Telly.

[brickell]

Originally Posted by spellbound

I feel old AND wounded.

Someone may as well tell me they don't know who Lincoln or Gandhi is.

I weep for Telly.

Who loves ya baby?